AARO Resolves Puerto Rico UAP Case: Sky Lanterns, Not Anomal

AARO Resolves Puerto Rico UAP Case: Sky Lanterns, Not Anomalous Craft

AARO assessed with high confidence that the objects did not exhibit anomalous behavior or transmedium capabilities, and with moderate confidence that the objects were a pair of sky lanterns.

Published

October 5, 2026

Declassified

Date not listed

Source agency

The Black Vault (FOIA archive)

aarouapfoiaresolvespuertoricocasesky

AARO Concludes Puerto Rico Objects Were Sky Lanterns

The All-domain Airport near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, had circulated for years as an example of an object that appeared to split, replicate, and cross between air and water. AARO's assessment splits into two confidence tiers. The office states high confidence that the objects did not exhibit anomalous behavior or transmedium capabilities — meaning nothing in the recording exceeded known state-of-the-art performance characteristics.

Separately, AARO states moderate confidence that the objects were a pair of sky lanterns. The gap between those two confidence levels is itself part of the finding: the behavioral conclusion rests on reconstruction of the event, while the specific identification is constrained by the video's poor quality. The case file records the reported-versus-assessed gap that defined the sighting.

No altitude, speed, or shape was reported for the objects; AARO assessed an altitude of 656 feet, a speed of 8 mph, and an indistinct shape. The reported behavior —…

Continue reading with DeclassifyAI Premium. Get unlimited access to declassified document analysis, source-linked investigations, newsletters, and topic alerts for $10/month.

$10/month · Billed every 30 days from your signup date

This analysis is based on officially released government source documents. The original government source link remains available above for transparency. Premium is $10/month. Checkout opens when live billing is enabled.

Source verification

This article is based on an officially released source document linked below.

DeclassifyAI summarizes and analyzes the document — it does not replace the original release.

Review the original government source material directly for full context and verification.

The official source link is provided so you can confirm provenance yourself.

Based on the official release at https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/dod-report-says-aguadilla-ufo-was-just-sky-lanterns-previous-scientific-studies-claim-otherwise/

Official Source DocumentSource Link Provided

Disclaimer

This article is based on declassified or officially released source material. DeclassifyAI summarizes and analyzes the linked government document. Always review the original official source directly — linked above — before relying on any summary or interpretation. Illustrations shown with articles are not part of the originally released documents; they are added by DeclassifyAI for substance when the source release does not include usable imagery.